Weeder



Dec. 24, 1935.

L. F. STUART WEEDER Filed June 16, 1953 www Patented Dec. 24, 1935UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to weeders and has for its object to provide a newand efficient weeder or dandelion remover, which will cut off the rootof the weed and then lift it from the soil.

A further object is to provide a weeder which will cut the root of theweed and which will then lift the body of the weed, carrying it untilsufficient weeds have been collected so that all can be dropped into acontainer at the same time.

A further object is to provide a weeder which will be economical tomanufacture and assemble and whichv will be simple in its operation sothat any one can use it with a few minutes experience.

A still further object is to provide a weeder which 'may be used to bothdig and collect the weeds and'which needs only a slight pressure of thehand to close the weed lifter and catcher to allow each new weed to beengaged therein and having a spring tension to normally hold the weedcatcher in the open position.

A still further object is to provide a device for weeding withoutbending over.

These objects I accomplish with the device i1- lustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which similar numerals and letters of referenceindicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in thespecification forming a part of this application and pointed out in theappended claim.

In the drawing in which I have shown the devlce Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the weeder.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the weed cutter blade.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modication of the weeder with theholder modified in form.

In the drawing I have shown the device as a weed cutter blade A, havingthe end I tapered and sharpened to cut oi the roots of the weeds andhaving the upper portion 2 of the blade formed broader and joined to acylinder 3 into which the handle l of the device is placed and secured.The weed catcher gripping and lifting blade B is made of a piece ofmetal having a cup shaped medial portion 6 with one end extended at 1 toform the engaging finger of the lifter and having the other end bent tothe body at 8 and bifurcated at 9 to encompass both sides of thecylinder 3 near the blade A. One leg I0 of the lifter B is extended toprovide an actuating arm for the lifter and a spring II is secured tothe cylinder 3 and extended through and under the end of the lifter Bbetween the biiurcated ends thereof to engage within the inner side ofthe lifter; thus the spring II is pressing to hold the lifter B open atall times except when being operated.

Onto the free end of the handle 4, I provide a hand grip I2 which isprovided with a lever I3 pivoted thereto by a pin I4 and said lever I3has a lever I5 formed therewith and a wire or cable IG connects thelever I5 with the lever I0 of the lifter B on the other end of thehandle so that the position of the lifter or catcher may be controlledby the operator from the head of the handle without stooping.

In the modified form of gripping blade shown in Figure 4 the blade I8 ismade with the free end I9 curved toward the cutting blade I. The otherend of the blade I8 is bent at right angles thereto and provided with ahinge connection on the end thereof to engage a like hinge connectionsecured to the handle cylinder 3 by the hinge pin 20. A spring 2l iswound around the hinge pin and engages the blade I3 to normally hold theblade I 8 away from engagement with the cutting blade I. An arm 22 issecured to the blade I8 extending beyond the back side of the cuttingblade and a wire 23 connects this arm with the lever` I5 of the handlever I3 to provide means for actuating the gripping blade of this typeof device.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The operator taking the handle in hand, presses the blade end I downinto the ground at an angle toward the root of the weed and when he haspressed far enough to cut the root he slightly withdraws the blade andpresses in on the grip lever I3 which engages the engaging finger l ofthe lifter with the weed and the operator then draws the entire devicefrom the ground holding the weed in the device. With this weed in theldevice the operator moves the blade A to the next weed and presses theblade into the ground thereadjacent at the same time releasing thelinger l and when this weed is cut ofi he repeats the iirst operationand the finger 'I grips the two weeds and this operation may becontinued until the bowl C between the weed lifter and the enlarged bodyA is filled with weeds. The hand lever I3 is then released and all weedsreleased simultaneously.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patentand claim:

In a weed cutter and carrier of the class described the combination of acutting blade having the cutting end narrow and sharpened and the medialportion broadened and slightly curved and the upper handle engaging endformed cy lindrical to receive a handle; a handle to be secured in saircylindrical end; a gripping blade pivotally secured to the cylindricalportion of the cutting blade with the medial portion of the grippingblade formed cup shaped to receive the Weeds; a spring to normally holdthe gripping blade away from the cutting blade; a, hand grip on the endof said handle; a lever pivoted to said hand grip; and a wire connectingsaid lever With an extended arm on the gripping blade to actuate thegripping blade from the end of the handle.

LAFAYETTE P. STUART.

